Weisburg’s guide to classroom management for school librarians

CHICAGO — Your library is your classroom, and you are responsible for it no matter what’s happening there. Ineffective classroom management can hamper or completely negate your efforts at creating a strong library program, and that’s true whether you’re a new school librarian just starting out or one with many years under your belt. Hilda K. Weisburg, a past recipient of AASL’s Distinguished Service Award, presents a powerful new resource that will show you how to prevent, deal with, and overcome discipline problems you may face when communicating with and teaching K-12 students. “Classroom Management for School Librarians,” published by ALA Editions, also shares ways to make the library a welcoming environment and incorporate trauma-informed learning into your practice. As you read, you’ll gain crucial insights on issues such as:

• how to stay centered and focused by drawing up plans, guidelines, and policies that will give you a formal basis for your decisions and actions;
• the differences between management and control;
• cooperation, collaboration, and co-teaching—and where curriculum fits in;
• techniques for handling distractions, disruptions, and defiance;
• practical steps for creating a safe and welcoming space through guidance on equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• time management as a tool for juggling extra responsibilities such as book clubs and extra-curricular activities; 
• strategies for coping with stress when you feel overwhelmed; and
• ending the year right by creating your own checklist of “closing” tasks, including assessment and reflection.

Weisburg was a school librarian for over 30 years. Starting in 1980, she co-wrote and edited School Librarian’s Workshop, a bi-monthly newsletter for K-12 librarians. Her author or co-author credits include “Being Indispensable: A School Librarian’s Guide to Becoming an Invaluable Leader,” “School Librarian’s Career Planner,” “New on the Job: A School Library Media Specialist’s Guide to Success,” and “Leading for School Librarians: There Is No Other Option.” She has given presentations at AASL and state library media conferences, given staff development workshops in many locations, and has taught graduate courses at William Paterson University and Rutgers University. A past president of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, she is a past chair of the AASL Advocacy committee, chairs the Ruth Toor Grant for Strong Public Libraries, and serves on ALA committees.

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